Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been re-elected unopposed as president of motor racing’s governing body, the FIA.
Ben Sulayem’s election was confirmed by the FIA’s General Assembly in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, ahead of the end-of-season prizegiving gala, where new Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris will collect his trophy.
Ben Sulayem’s election marks the end of a controversial process, which saw two prospective opponents, American Tim Meyer and Swiss racing driver Laura Villiers, both withdraw their candidacies.
After dropping out, Meyer said in October: “There will be a formal vote, but it will be for only one candidate. This is no longer a democratic process when choice is replaced by control.”
Ben Sulayem, who replaced Jean Todt at the end of 2021, will serve a second term for four years.
It was his initiative which appeared to fire the starting gun on F1 opening up an 11th grid slot for 2026, with Ben Sulayem initially pushing the sport to accept Michael Andretti’s bid — in the years since, that bid became the General Motors-backed Cadillac team which will debut in 2026.
His first term has been marked by several controversies — as well as lingering concerns about the democratic process and governance of the sport, there have also been conflicts with F1 itself.
As well as lingering concerns about the democratic process, his first term has been marked with several notable conflicts in F1.
Ben Sulayem was the FIA president who pushed for a clampdown on driver jewellery, which memorably led to Lewis Hamilton turning up to a press conference in Miami decked out in rings and necklaces, and a ban on profanity in press conferences.
The FIA and Formula 1 continue to be at loggerheads over the officiating of the sport, which is overseen by the governing body.
Formula 1 drivers are pushing for the stewarding process to be tightened up, although the FIA is so far unwilling to commit to a paid group of permanent stewards to replace the rolling panel of volunteers who currently oversee penalties and race matters every weekend.
In a press release marking his election, the FIA said Ben Sulayem’s first term “reversed a €-24.0m loss in 2021 to a robust operating result of €4.7m in 2024, the strongest financial result the federation has seen in almost 10 years.”
